Sunday, January 27, 2008

Rita's Process Chart - Initiation and Planniing

The goal is to memorize this chart found on page 39 in Rita Mulcahy's Project Managent PMP review book - to have it memorized by Saturday, Feb 2. We will be meeting at the library again (9AM - 11AM) to play the game and see how we do. Max is way aheaad of us, so those not yet ready for the game, you still have six days to 'git-r-done'.
Initiating:
  1. Select Project Manager (The very first thing you do in Rita's Process Chart.).
  2. Determine Company Culture and Existing Systems (Enterprise Environment Assets)
  3. Collect Processes, Procedures, and Historical Information (Organizational Process Assets)
  4. Divide Project into Phases (O.K. - I'll go with this)
  5. Identify Stakeholders (You need to do this before you can justify and document the rest)
  6. Document Business Needs (Because you met with the Stakeholders)
  7. Define Project Objectives (You know what they are because this project meets the business needs)
  8. Document Assumptions and Constraints (this defines the boundaries of the project)
  9. Develop Project Charter (Authorizes the project and is an output of the Initiation process)
  10. Develop Preliminary Project Scope (This is your SOW, and input into the planning process)

Planning:
  1. Determine how you will do the Planning - document as part of the PM plans (makes sense)
  2. Develop Project Scop
  3. Determine Team (it is input into the rest of the parts that define the Planning process)
  4. WBS and WBS dictionary (PMism is Work Packages - lowest level of the WBS and is defined with the key of an accounting code)
  5. Create Activity List (list of what needs to be done)
  6. Create Network Diagram (shows Critical Path)
  7. Estimate resources (This is an ESTIMATE and is input into the next step)
  8. Estimate time and cost (No project $$$ impacts your Critical Path)
  9. Determine Critical Path (REmember the Network Diagram??)
  10. Develop Schedule
  11. Develop Budget
  12. Define Quality standards, processes, and metrics
  13. Determine Roles and Responsibilities (of the team)
  14. Determine Communications Plan
  15. Identify Risks, quantitative and qualitative, analysis and risk response planning
  16. ITERATIONS (GO BACK) (Know this, and you are almost there!)
  17. Determine what you have to purchase (Procurement Planning)
  18. Prepare Procurement documents (Procurement Planning)
  19. Finalize the 'How to Execute and Control' plan (Executing, Monitoring and Controlling processes)
  20. Create Process Improvement Plan (memorize this)
  21. Finalize Project Management Plans (For the Steering Committee - Stakeholders)
  22. Gain Approval
  23. Hold Kickoff Meeting (This is the YEAH point of the project)!

Saturday, January 19, 2008

PMP STudy Group - Saturday Assignment

Hi Everyone,
We are mixing it up in the study group - in Rita Mulcahey's book, read the first 3 chapters for discussion in Saturday's study group. See ya - and maybe I'll add onto this blog post just to make it interesting - about the first three chapters (and how it compares to the PMBOK-3 first 3 chapters). Why not -need to keep it interesting. JP

Friday, January 18, 2008

Project Integration: Inputs, Tools & Techniques, Outputs

Knowledge Area 1: Project Integration Management:
I found my graphics (hardcopy). They are also listed in your PMBOK Guide (PMBOK-Three) beginning on page 79. Here is your starter text interpretation:

Project Integration Management:
4.1 Develop Project Charter:
Inputs: Contracts (when applicable) Project SOW, Enterprise Environmental factors, Organizational process Assets.
Tools and Techniques: project selection Methods, Project Management Methodology, Project management information system, Expert Judgement
Outputs: Project Charter.

4.2 Develop Prelim Project Scope Statement
Inputs: Project Charter, Project SOW, Enterprise Environmental factors, Organizational process Assets
Tools & Techniques: PM Methodology, PM Information System, Expert Judgement
Outputs: Preliminary Project Scope Statement

4.3 Develop Project Management Plan
Inputs: preliminary Project Scope statement, Project Management processes, Enterprise Environmental Factors, Organizational Process Assets
Tools & Techniques: Project Management Methodology, Project Management information Systems, Expert Judgement
Outputs: Project Management Plan

4.4: Direct and Manage Project Execution
Inputs: Project Management Plan, Approved preventive actions, approved corrective actions, approved change requests, approved defect repair, Validated defect repair, Administrative closure procedure
Tools & Techniques: PM methodology, PM Information system
Outputs: Deliverables, Requested Changes, Implemented change request, Implemented corrective actions, Implemented preventive actions, Implemented defect repair, Work Performance information.

4.5: Monitor and Control Project Work:
Inputs: Project Management Plan, Work Performance Information, Rejected Change requests
Tools and Techniques: PM Methodology; PM Information System, Earned Value Technique, Expert Judgement
Outputs: Recommended corrective actions, recommended preventive actions, forecasts, recommended defect repair, requested changes.

4.6 Integrated Change Control
Inputs: Project Management Plan, Requested changes, Work Performance Information, Recommended preventive actions, Recommended Corrective actions, Recommended defect repair, Deliverables
Tools & Techniques: Project Management methodology; Project Management Information System, Expert Judgement
Outputs: Approved change requests, Rejected Change requests, project Management Plan (updates) , Project Scope Statement (Updates), Approved Corrective actions, approved preventive actions, approved defect repair, validated defect repair, deliverables.

4.7 Close Project
Inputs: Project Management Plan, Contract documentation, Enterprise Environmental factors, Recommended preventive actions, organizational process assets, Work Performance Information, Deliverables.
Tools & Techniques: PM Methodology, PM Information System, Expert Judgement
Outputs: Administrative Closure procedure, Contract Closure procedure, Final Produce, service or results, Organizational Process Assets (Upgrades)

Project Charter Question

Project Charter: Teri sent me an e-mail about the Project Charter - who wrote/signed off the project charter? Do you know the answer? There is 'my' answer and then there is the 'PMBOK' answer. Though both was close in content - remember, memorize the PMBOK to get through the exam.

PMBOK says "a document issued by the project initiator or sponsor that formally authorizes the existence of a project, and provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities.". My thought on this was that the PM and 'resources' would have created the Charter with the sponsor signing off which would authorize the project. Slightly different, and is what happens in the real world but it is important to note that it is the authorization by the project initiator or project sponsor. In the Project Charter is where the PM is selected/named. Important point.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

PMPReview Introduction

Today I scheduled to take the exam on April 28. That's a big day for me since I started this adventure (take the exam) almost 2 years ago. I'm commited or need to be. I am reviewing again and starting up the review process is probably the most challenging and so, here I am.

This is what I have so far: We started up the Virtual Study Group which is a start but need to do much more. Met today with two other folks (Teri and Max) at the Twin Hickory Library - GREAT! We were alittle unsteady at what approach to take and so, #1 - I committed to the test and signed up while there and #2 - we came up with a process - using my previous study groups PPT presentation for review and utilizing MeasureUP Q&A. We used every bit of the 2 hours we had planned and it was enough to motivate me - because now I know I gottta git-r-done! BTW - I signed up for the Va. Central Chapter - PMI meeting for 1/17. Go on and get involved - why not!

Back to the topic of PMP Review - Today a question came up about plotting the milestones in your PM plan - do you know when/where that get's plugged into the plan? It is an OUTPUT of Activity Definition of the Planning process (Pag 49 - Chapter 3).

I finally got something figured out - when I first ventured into this PMBOK thing, I kind of did not get it. Now I am so getting it which is exciting to me. I still can't answer the practice questions but it has more to do with reading comprehension and trick questions than it does with the subject matter.

Chapter ONE in PMBOK is all about the Project Framework. Do you really understand what that means? You never heard of this PMBOK thing much less the exam and PMP certification but it sounded good. O.K. Remember this, ISO stands for the International Organization of Standards. They are the ones that came up with this set of guidelines, standards and practices to structure Project Management Work. All our projects were failing and we were spending/wasting money to failing projects! How many examples do you want? The biggest one I recall is relative to IRS/DSS and the Unisys project (I'm dating myself) but in the end, much, much money was spent on something that technologically could not and did not work. That one was in the newspapers. Best Products - remember them? They did the same thing - spent money and hours and hours on a project - it was suppose to be the project that was to raise them to new heights - and they ended up canning the project after a year or more then closing their doors. That project probably did that company in. PMBOK says that sutdies conducted by the Standish Group in 2004 show that only 34 percent of projects are successful. So, there are compelling reasons to have a PMBOK. Now we have progressed to PMBOK Third Edition (lucky for us) which greatly standardized and structured the Project Management standards and the testing. Chapter one: Purpose of PMBOK and related definition of a Project (3 characteristics - Temporary, Unique, progressive Elaboration). What is the difference between Project and Operational (though some areas overlap, the key is in it's uniqueness and repetiveness). Know the project and strategic planning: What are the causation of projects (Market demand, organizational need, customer request, technological advance, legal requirement). Know your areas of expertise (PMBOK Knowledge, Application area knowledge (standards, regulations), Project environment, INTERPERSONAL SKILLS. I capitalized that one because frankly, that's most important and probably my challenge (YES, it is!! I ran out of patience two teenagers ago). PM Context - I'm not sure - read Chapt 1, it's short and simple. Yet it lays out the foundation.

Project Life Cycle: Project Stakeholders, Organizational influences, again read Chapter 1 pages 1 - 18. Of most interest is how it defines the differences between PMOs, portfolios, programs, projects. This is important because of the one liners - A PMO does not evaluate PMs but does mentor. This chapter lays out the Project Management framework with the 9 Knowledge areas - with I/Os (which I think is a bit pre-mature but it is PMBOK).

Chapter 2 - Project Life Cycle and Organization - how does this fit in? Again those one liners - Schedule compression technique (they just threw this in early on - Fast tracking); Cost and staffing - When are the Stakeholders influence LOW and the cost of changes HIGH? This is a question you will probably see: This is probably towards the end of the project!!! Speaking of project phases - phase exits, kill points and phase gates all mean the same thing - If a project is divided up in phases, normally, the next phase doesn't begin until evaluation, deliverables for each phase has been completed. PMBOK. Know your Organizational structures - Why? Well, do you want to work in a functional organization? Do you want to work in a projectized organization? Your projects might be fantastic but what happens at the completion of the project (in a projectized organization)? My personality fits better in a projectized organization but frankly, we work in corporations that typically are Matrix oriented. What does Matrix Organization really mean? To me, I need to plan out my project according to available resources.

Now this is where I left off tonight and that is on Chapter 3. This is where I found out that the Activity list and Milestones are identified which both are outputs of Activity definition! I bet you didn't know that. This chapter is where you get to look at the PLAN DO CHECK ACT as it relates to the PLANNING - EXECUTING - MONITORING AND CONTROLLING. The Intitation process kicks off the cycle and the CLOSING process ends the cycle. It is an iterative process. Come on - Read Chapter 3 - this is where the fun begins. This is where the meat and potatoes of PMBOK studying begins. You can do this. Trust me, If I can - you can. We are already familiar with the 5 process groups of Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, Closing. We are also familiar with the 9 knowledge areas (remember: I saw the car quickly hit Chris's rear plate) that is, Integration, Scope, Time, Cost, Quality, HR, Communications, Risk and Procurement. Now all you need to do is re-read this Chapter and understand what they mean by Process Interactions and the wonderful world of Project Management Process Management. Anyone want to take it from here?

We can have alot of fun with blogging - so let's get busy and 'git-r-done'.